An Ending For A Beggining
by MSirius
Summary: What would happen if, in the end, JoonPyo and JaeKyung actually got married? How would all the characters deal with it? Now JanDi has to reorganize her feelings and learn how to move on, and JiHoo has to figure out his next steps. Will JoonPyo ever be able to accept JaeKyung's presence in his life? YiJeong and GaEul try to help their friends, while dealing with their own feelings.
1. Prologue

Discalimer: Boys Before Flowers and none of the characters belong to me. This is for fun only. Please enjoy ;)

* * *

He took in a deep, nervous breath. Exhaled quietly, almost gently.

It was no use; still he felt like the air was insufficient. It wasn't enough to calm down his heart, drumming out of pace. It felt as though he had run a marathon. What was going on?

And yet, he was seated in the very same position he lodged himself in an hour ago. Hoping to calm himself down, Goo JunPyo reached for the glass of vodka on the table in front of him, filled with ice. He felt messed up, the whole world felt strange and confusing to his eyes. Was this what they call 'the cold feet'?

Truth to be told, he never _asked_ for the marriage. _And you also never said no,_ reminded a voice inside his head, cruel as it always was. _You never did anything at all to stop it, now here we are_.

Powerless against his own thoughts, the black haired man passed one hand through his hair, making the curls even more messy than usual. He wasn't worried about looks, not right now. He felt as though very little – close to nothing – was under his control and, because he wasn't going to allow himself to feel hurt by that knowledge, he only felt mad.

JunPyo _wanted_ it to be anger that made his body misbehave like that. Any other answer was unacceptable. With that in mind, he tried to raise the glass, with all the intentions of emptying it, but his shaking hands made it impossible. Damn it, he couldn't even drink to his satisfaction.

The heir looked around. His room was big, with an occidental decoration to it; he could never doubt the good taste of the designers. It was elegant, classy, and safe on the classic inspiration. He could see gold on the wallpapers and on the furniture details. Otherwise, the rest of the colors were dark-red wood and pastel. Right now, the only light came through the open window, filling the room with the red and orange colors of the sunset. Filling his mind with red, making his thoughts disoriented and dizzy.

Searching for a bit of control, JunPyo clenched his teeth, closed one hand into a fist, wanting some strength to replace the weakness he felt quickly possessing his muscles. He tried to drink yet again, but to no avail.

There was a clock in the wall. The sound of the seconds passing by dominated his head, making him deaf to the world. He closed his eyes, feeling sick.

_Tick-tock_

_Tick-tock_

The clock kept going, passing the time, unstoppable and cruel as only time can be. The ticking the seconds and minutes ate away his freedom and sanity. There was something sickly frustrating about being unable to control time. He always convinced himself he could always manage it better for his future, but right now, there was nothing he could do to control anything. The time pushed him closer to a future he did not want, and it suffocated him enough to increase his already labored breathing, make his heart a crazy drum, faster and faster. His skin was burning and his mouth was dry.

He wanted it to stop, feeling the scream stuck in a knot in the back of his throat.

Memories crossed his mind in full speed, and he closed his eyes to drown in the nostalgic feeling.

**[Flashback begins]**

He was in the blizzard, desperately looking for JanDi. _"Geum JanDi! Geum JanDi, where are you?!"_

They were together, trying to fight the cold. And he kissed her. _"How should I repay you?"_

"_Lunchbox."_

"_What?"_

"_That thing you eat everyday for lunch. Honestly, I've wanted to taste it the moment I saw it."_

"_I'll make it for you. We can make lunchboxes and go on picnics. Just the two of us."_

Seeing the anklet he had given her in JiHoo's wrist.

"_Is that yours?"_

"_It's JanDi's. She must have dropped it last night. Return it to her."_

JunPyo was on the ground, beaten down by a group while attempting to save her, and then she was in top of him, receiving a chair attack at her shoulder and back.

"_Say that you'll give up on JanDi."_

"_I can't do that."_

"_Do you want to die?"_

"_I don't want to die. But if you're going to kill me, there's nothing I can do."_

Her tears flowed after he told her she was nothing but a stain in his life.

"_I understand. You acted like you didn't see me, nor did you want to. And that is real. To you, I'm–_

"_A stain I want to erase."_

JiHoo punching him to the airport ground.

"_Because you were my friend, I backed off. Because Geum JanDi was my friend's girl, I held back. Until the very end, I gave you a chance. But you've lost that privilege. I won't yield anymore."_

Seeing his best friend kissing his first love's hand while she was sleeping in bed.

His mother's face, severe tight lips and ruthless judging eyes, saying he should grow up and attend to his responsibilities.

"_Are you satisfied now? Now that everything's the way you want, are you satisfied?"_

"_I don't know, merely hearing about the likes of that girl doesn't make me happy."_

"_She's not just '__that kind of girl__'! She's the first girl that I — your son — ever loved."_

Being dragged by her mother security guards.

The sad look in his sister eyes during her arranged marriage ceremony.

Fighting with JaeKyung over a shoe.

"_I got this shoe first."_

"_Are you kidding? I did, and you're not even a girl."_

The announcement of the marriage during his birthday.

"_I introduce you all to my son's new fiancé."_

The day she prepared breakfest to him.

_"You and I are the same, do we ever have anything we want to buy or something we want to do? I hated eating all by myself at a huge table"_

Being embraced by her…and their first official date.

"_I wish every day was a date. Think about it. You came to me first and asked for a date. We haven't fought all day."_

**[Flashback ends]**

Choking on his own breath, JunPyo suddenly opened his eyes; the contrast of the vivid memories with the scarlet red light in the room with the incessant ticking, hit him like a punch, driving out instantly what was left of his patience. On a rampant, he screamed, standing up, grabbing the glass and throwing it directly at the clock, all in a swift motion. The loud noise of shattering glass invaded his ears along with the surprised scream of the maids. He had forgotten that they were waiting orders, standing up behind the sofa in which he was seated.

_The hell with it_.

The clock was silent now, its broken parts among the glass fragments and wet with the vodka he couldn't drink. And yet, the headache was still there, the world was still spinning, the air burned painfully through his lungs, his crazy heart shooting blood to his ears; a turmoil.

The shaking, built, and tall figure of ShinHwa's heir turned his head towards the maids. Fire in his eyes, the fury underneath not only visible, but palpable for the three girls.

"Get out of here." The words that came out of his mouth sounded husky, a low, dangerous tone. The calm before the storm.

Afraid, they gave an involuntary step back. Swallowing dry, one of them gathered the courage to question the order, for they had received orders from President Kang herself, to keep eyes on Master.

"But Master, the President…" her voice was weak and almost inaudible, but in the dead silence of the room, it sounded loud enough.

"I said _get out_!" His rage getting worse by the second, exploding inside, he took a step in their direction, immediately setting them off on a run. They closed the door loudly behind them.

_Good_, he thought, with cruel satisfaction. At least he had control over something: he could be alone for the rest of the time until the wedding. To the hell with everyone else.

With long and fast steps, he reached the door, locking it, finding some relief in punching the strong wood afterwards. So he did it again, and again. The emotions burning inside were overflowing and he would just let it happen. With another frustrated scream, JunPyo allowed the anger overtake him, the last thread of control finally snapping.

* * *

The classic music filled the room, delicate and rich on its creative sense and diversity; the sound clear as crystal, flowing like water on a stream. His movements seemed to follow the song very rhythm, without hurrying to the conclusion, every gesture full of meaning on its own. For JiHoo, making tea was a relaxing ceremony that he enjoyed every second of, being accustomed to use it as a way to calm agitated and unreasonable thoughts and feelings.

In his way of thinking, not living with music was a betrayal to the essential part of human existence that was surrounded by melodies, the part of the soul that needed it in order to survive.

He could, until this day, remember the time when music was his one and only salvation. When it was his company, his comfort, his love. The violin, the guitar, the piano; they were his family. It was the only light in an existence that was surrounded by darkness, sorrow and despair. The only order and constancy in a world that had been turned upside down by a disaster. At that time, he couldn't get to understand what happened to him, to his parents, or why. The rejection his grandfather made him endure was a point of collapse in his memories.

The man he was now felt compassion for the lost and confused boy he was then. Even though, to this date, he still couldn't answer all the boy's questions.

Sometimes, JiHoo wished he could find a way to go to his own path, just be able to comfort his young self, let him fall asleep feeling safe at least once, let him hear that everything was going to be okay. To care for him. He who had no one to save him from the pit he was falling into.

Until Min SeoHyun held out a helping hand.

Right now he felt at ease; the tranquility of the song and the normalcy of doing tea were soothing his anguish, clearing his head. It never failed to do so.

When the tea was ready, JiHoo proceeded to fill a mug with the green water, the humid herb smell reaching his nose, making him taste it only through memory for some seconds. Smiling lightly, he decided he didn't want to sit, and instead he leaned on the counter, letting it support part of his weight, while he took his first taste.

In front of him, from his position in the fourth floor, across the private living room, the large window showed a breathtaking sight. The sun was setting, filling the infinite sky, the sea, the resort walls, and his room with bright colors; red, orange, yellow. They lay upon the world in a careless joyful painting. For a while, the chords that represented so much were nothing more than a simple soundtrack of a much bigger picture in the order of things.

_Everything seems smaller when you look at the wide sky._ He thought, keeping himself from saying it out loud, afraid of disrupting that still moment in time.

He just stood there, the cup of tea warm in his hands, his head light and thoughtless. And there he stayed until the painting became all dark blue and purple, with the stars blinking their rhythm to humanity.

JiHoo sighed, content. Treasuring the moment. Well aware that soon enough it would be over and the whole world would enter his door in a hurry, demanding and ruthless, bringing along the worries and the complications of the human heart and mind. He wanted the peace for just a little longer.

Placing the empty mug on the counter, he stepped toward the window, intending to sit down at the chair close to it and finger his guitar while feeling the fresh breeze and watching the sight. YiJung had asked him to meet up to dinner, but JiHoo simply didn't feel like it, so he wasn't going to show up. His friend would be fine since it was clear he enjoyed GaEul's company. It was funny to watch those tiny awkward conflicts arising between those two. Though sometimes he felt the potter was keeping too much to himself, somewhat afraid of his own emotions. JiHoo couldn't blame him for that.

He reached for the guitar but before he could take a seat, something caught his eyes. Or better, someone. It was dark, but he would never fail to recognize her. Geum JanDi was sitting on a bench, looking at the sea, and she was there, still, for a long time. And just like that, the peaceful moment faded and his world was set in motion once more. Did something happen? Was she crying?

The musician was about to turn away and run to her, when a thought froze him at the spot. It would be so… selfish. In the end he wouldn't be helping her; just relieving his own worries and desires. It would just make it worse for her.

He took a deep breath, looking to stabilize himself.

Her heart was broken, about that he understood plenty. He also understood the conflict of desperately yearn for someone, to be and care for that person, and at the same time needing to be alone to put the mind in order. And he could clearly see what she was trying to do: JanDi wanted to look for strength inside herself, not outside, she was trying hard to make peace with what was happening in her life, to learn to forgive and push pride aside. To let go. There wasn't another way out.

He knew exactly what it felt like and how painful and difficult it was.

But he yearned to see her spark again, to hear her song.

And that's why he utterly respected this moment of hers. That's why he stayed.

The door knock sounded at the same time as he turned his back to the window. He wasn't expecting anyone. Puzzled, he put the guitar aside and walked to the door, opening it. There stood Jung SangRuk, the chief secretary of JunPyo's mother. The man seemed disturbed, even if it wasn't obvious, as it was his character. But he was slightly pale and the look in his eyes set off red flags in JiHoo's mind.

"What's wrong?"

SangRuk kept his composure, but the worry in his voice was clear.

"Please, sir. I'm deeply sorry to disturb you with such matters, but Goo JunPyo is acting out of his sense, it worries me. I thought he might listen to you."

JiHoo should have imagined that something of the sort would happen. It was just so typical of his best friend. A small grin appeared in his lips. It seemed like he was, in truth, the firefighter of not one, but two persons.

* * *

JanDi's eyes looked down at the necklace in her hand without really seeing it. The sunset lights made the silver shine in yellow and red, adding movement to it, like a flame. Yet, it was cold to the touch. It seemed unfair, that something that used to fill her heart with warmth, now made her tears roll down her face.

In the last few months, she often felt cold. Cold inside out, no matter how hot it was outside, it made no difference.

Wherever she went, whatever she did, it always somehow triggered some memory of him and of them together. Something he did, something he said, and something he would do or say. She felt as if the world was a giant trap designed so her heart would ache eternally.

She wanted to go to him, to scream, punch, and kick him. And she wanted him to feel the same pain. She wanted to hug him, and kiss him, and never let go. To ask him to not marry, to be with her. But she wouldn't do it, she couldn't.

A couple of hours ago, JaeKyung was seated beside her on this very bench, crying and opening her heart. And the truth was that JanDi had no idea of what to do with that information. She was so at loss about what she wanted as that star pendant was misplaced in her hand.

_I…I really do like you a lot_, JunPyo's bride – and her friend - voice resonated in her head, echoing. _If someone told me to pick the two most precious people in the world to me, I would say Goo JunPyo and Geum JanDi. Therefore, I'm really sorry, because I made your heart ache, but I'll make up for you somehow. Please forgive me. _

JaeKyung wasn't going to give up on JunPyo, she knew that already. But still shame crawled into her heart, for she had hoped, deep inside, that the woman would say the exact opposite, that she would give up on him, and on her happiness. _For what? To leave him to me? Would her sadness make me happy?_

She truly liked that spoiled woman's friendship. With all her uncalled for comments and hilarious behaviors, JanDi could see she was really trying to be her friend and enjoying every moment. It wasn't false, it never was. Under this line of thought, she closed her eyes, a solitary tear falling from one eye. She should be happy for her friend's marriage, but the tears insisted on falling. It was so stupid.

Maybe the reason why she liked JaeKyung's company and her explosions and attitudes didn't bother her was because… she deeply reminded JanDi of JunPyo himself. They were very alike. Demanding, shouting orders, greedy and not resting until they got what they wanted. They both had that sad, lonely look in their eyes that they thought nobody could see. Maybe their story was the most alike one. She truly believed so.

Breathing deeply, JanDi laid down on the bench, stretching her arms and legs. She had been still for some hours, her whole body felt stiff. With the necklace firm in her hand, rested on her stomach, she looked up at the sky. Without her noticing, the blue sky had given place for a dark one, filled with stars, in a way you couldn't see in the city. She always loved the country sky. Would her family be looking to the same sky now? Would there be enough light so they wouldn't be able to see it? Or would they already be asleep from exhaustion?

She missed them.

Her family sacrificed so much for her relationship with JunPyo. It was truth she never asked them to do so, but they still felt it was the right thing to do. And now she was just going to lie on the bench, and then tomorrow she would congratulate the couple. The one at his side wouldn't be her, as her mother had dreamed. She felt like a failure.

But at the end, it wasn't about them, or about JaeKyung, or even about President Kang. It was about JunPyo. Because, after all, it was he who had accepted the arrangement, even if not willingly. He and JaeKyung were still going to marry. And it was his choice to say those words to her in Macau.

JaeKyung shouldn't have apologized to her, it was not her fault.

It was JanDi's fault. And JunPyo's.

* * *

The bedroom was a mess, and there was a reason behind that fact, but she wasn't going to admit it to anyone. For the time being it was her little secret. They weren't dating, she knew that. Maybe she was just another one of his many plays, enjoying the ride before breaking her heart. Or maybe, just maybe, what she felt was right. That little by little she managed to get closer to his heart, closer than those usual girls, close enough that she mattered to him. In any case, this was all only theoretical. But she was happy now, and would keep these tiny moments close to her heart.

For now, all GaEul needed was to choose what to wear. And it was painfully difficult. Her best dress was selected for the wedding tomorrow, a red one, simple and elegant, that suited her style. But now it was the beginning of the night. They were going to have dinner, so YiJung was going to be there, and she had nothing to wear.

The room was hers and JanDi's, with two beds, one of which was a clutter of clothing and sheets. Like everything ShinHwa was, the place was beautiful, showing class in every single detail, from the looks to the smell. Still, she had nothing to wear.

No, of course she had something. The decision was the part that was killing her. _Where is my best friend when I need her?_ GaEul own thought made her freeze. It suddenly felt frivolous to be so worried about something like clothing when JanDi was about to face the hardest day of her life. It was as simple as wanting to look pretty for the boy she liked, but her friend was about to lose the person she liked forever. After the marriage, there would be no turn back. No happily ever after.

In her mind, there were a lot of important things in life, and of course looks was part of it. But above all, it was friendship, and loyalty. For those things, she could do anything at anytime. Her shoulder slouched slightly, with inner shame. The young girl then picked a plain blue jeans and a yellow lace top from the messed up pile on her bed. These would suit just fine. But she was still worried. Where was her friend? Hopefully no disaster had occurred, as this whole ordeal was bad enough on its own.

Still, JanDi seemed to attract trouble. Her heart felt a little heavy, so forgetting completely about her daydreams and romantic thoughts and worries, she got dressed. Choosing a simple pair of earrings that matched her necklace, she finalized it all with rose essence, a birthday present from her mother.

The first thing GaEul saw once she stepped out of the room was YiJung, ready to knock on the very same door. The unexpected proximity made her face instantly turn a deep red, which seemed to amuse him. A soft smile came to his lips, making her blush even more and instantly look down, just to stop staring. YiJung, like always, didn't suffer from any form of shyness, so he simply looked above her head.

"What happened in there? It's like Armani and Gucci went into war." The simple joke made a shriek of embarrassment emerge from GaEul's throat, and she shut the door down immediately. In attempt to lock it, she nervously dropped the key. When GaEul bent down to pick it up, his hand reached the key at the same time, in a way he ended up holding hers. Laughing inside, YiJung gently helped her to get up again, amused by the variety of red shades her cheeks could get.

Wanting to see where it could go, he lightly put a hand in her hip, with the pretext to help her to regain balance.

"Careful now, GaEul, you alright?" he murmured. She nodded slowly, her gaze still avoiding his, but the red had turned pink, which he thought could be a good sign. It was true he had been with many girls the last few years, and some of them could even pretend to be shy, just for the sake of the game. Fake challenges. This little girl, all dreamy eyes and simple mind, was easy to read and her honesty made her singular and somewhat refreshing. It was way too easy to relax at her side.

Smiling, but yet not letting her go, he nudged her body to the opposite direction, towards the shared elegant living room, where WooBin had asked to meet them.

"JanDi…" her voice was coming back again. It was a relief. His hand was warm on hers, disarming her completely. Her legs felt like jelly, but she, much to her own surprised, was able to walk. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid he could hear it. She hoped not.

"Oh, I don't know where she is." He didn't felt particularly worried, though. In his mind, for that girl, there was nothing that could happen that would be worst than tomorrow's wedding. What troubled him more was how JunPyo was handling this whole situation. YiJung was just not ready to let this worry show to the girl, of course. Her mind was already too busy with JanDi's delicate emotional state, he was sure.

Spending his whole life with F4 taught him how utterly important friendship was, and he appreciated nothing more than true loyalty, an article he grew up understanding to be a rare thing. And GaEul was an extraordinary fit in that rare group. He hoped she knew that.

"WooBin said he was going to take a look around, but she's probably not lost or anything." That made her gaze up at him, with a subtle smile in her lips. "JiHoo said something about being busy, though."

"It's just that… I'm worried about her."

"Here we are. Now we wait." He said playfully, when they entered the room. There were two sofas, on pastel colors and rich wood details, and two matching armchairs, with a dark wood center table in the middle of the arrangement. Behind one of the sofas was a wide window from where you could see the lights of the resort, blinking against the dark sky, sprinkled with stars. Behind the other sofa was a counter, occupied by a variety of drinking options.

YiJung looked down at her, noticing her gaze was trapped in the view. It was beautiful to see indeed, but not that much. He guessed that, once you get used to those marvelous places, they begin to appear more plain than impressive. For her, everything was new, everything was wonderful, and he liked to watch that. He liked to see her eyes and face brightening while looking at the stars. How the lights danced in her hair. How her lips would open in admiration, with a shy smile insinuating at the corners. The sudden urge to kiss her took him on surprise, making him release her hand.

Oh, boy, he was doomed.

* * *

Note: Hello people! So I decided to do this fic 'cause I will not be satisfied until JiHoo and JanDi end up together XDD

But now, really. This is for fun and my first try with this thematic, I hope you guys like it. I sure did enjoy writing it. Comment so I can know what you guys think =D

Cheers


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The grass soccer field had a professional size, surrounded by wide wooden bleachers and scattered lights at the corner that now illuminated the night. An empty place, except for a lonely figure. Soundless, except for the panting breath and the impacts. The movement had become automatic; kick the ball, go get it, kick it again. Sweat was rolling down his face, indicating he was probably there for some time now. He had lost track.

Tired, WooBin leaned over and rested his hands on his knees, , making the sweat drops fall onto the grass. He wasn't dressed to play soccer; gray suit pants and a, now with buttons open and almost glued to his torso, white social shirt. Nobody was going to come, so there was nothing to worry about. The suit jacket and tie were thrown onto a small careless stack, as he was never the type to care much for those things. It was yet another difference between his lifestyle and his friends'. He was always trying to fit in.

In fact, sometimes he felt like he had always been trying so hard - his whole life - to fit in the demanded roles, that somehow he had lost himself along the way, somewhere amongst the masks.

As the sensitive guy he liked to pretend he wasn't, WooBin perceived how every single member of F4 was currently hanging by a thread. It seemed as though his most precious friends had reached an emotional collapse zone in their life, making them unsure of each step. And, instead of talking about it, they were all opting for some kind of escape, each one in a different way. He included.

Oh, how he missed the carefree moments of their childhood. He missed his friends.

One huge part of his heart felt deeply guilty. For he couldn't do anything to help them, that against their current problems he was helpless. Guilty that, while they're all suffering so much, he couldn't help but fill his mind with some personal silly problems, which worried him so much he could barely manage to do anything at all for them. And mostly, he felt guilty for feeling so angry with them, because they couldn't look and notice what he was going through.

_Goddamn it!_

With renewed energy, he kicked the ball once more, discharging all his frustration, and making the ball end up out of the field, out of reach. Well, fuck it, he didn't want to keep doing that anyway.

Tired and panting, WooBin let himself fall on the grass, right beside his tousled jacket. That's when he perceived his shirt was all wet, damp with sweat. He didn't quite think it was such a strenuous exercise, at least not to him since he was used to long and demanding training sessions from childhood till now. Seemed more like his nerves reacting to those thoughts. Deciding it was time to relax, he changed his focus.

Laying down , he could still faintly smell his own cologne under his perspiration. The field wasn't closed to the sea, but even so the air was salty, the wind touching gently the grass and his skin. From his position, the earth had a strong, pungent smell. The sky was clean, no clouds, filled with stars in a mesmerizing way. He felt like he could just stay and look at it forever.

Divagating, WooBin came to notice a weird feeling inside, as though his stomach was tickling. Intrigued, his mind began to search for an explanation. _Am I forgetting something?_ As if awakened by this one thought, his stomach growled loudly. And, as if following some kind of queue, his cellphone rang, filling the field with an elevator music ringtone. This was YiJeong. The chosen music for his friend's calls was a personal joke; his opinion on the other's abilities on playing the sax. Boring. He would take a more upbeat and agitated music any time of the day.

Lazily, he searched for the phone in some lost pocket of his jacket. The photo that appeared while YiJeong called was another joke; his friend not as handsome, with a creative painting on his face made with black pen and toothpaste on the nose, a piece of art made by F4 members, taken while he fell asleep during a drunken slumber.

"Miss me already? I miss you too, hon!"

"WooBin, are you lost or something?" YiJeong asked, ignoring the joke, with an urgent tone, making him wonder if something had happened. "We've been waiting for you for almost an hour."

His stomach made a sound of protest, echoing his friend's indignation. _Dinner, that was the thing!_

"Oh… Oops" He had honestly forgotten. At first he was there looking for JanDi, and somehow ended up lost in too many thought, deciding to put all that energy into some physical activity to clear his mind. Since he already was in the field, the choice of what to do was just logical. JanDi wasn't there, though.

"_Oops?_" there was a sigh and a tired tone in the other end of the line, which could indicate lots of different things.

"I was kind of… busy. Listen, I couldn't find her at all, maybe she doesn't want to go." He did look. The field was second place he looked, it wasn't a total lie.

"Well, I'd figured that one. Are you coming or not?" with that question, WooBin grinned audibly, making his the other protest.

"Yeah, I guess I'll let you have your desired alone time with GaEul. My present for you, your welcome!" Laughing and with hilarious images of those two behaving awkwardly in his head, he hung up.

He truly liked that couple, the way the little shy girl was so oblivious for something that, for him and the other F4 members, was so obvious. YiJeong was very fond of her, he could even be in love, and either was clueless of that or was trying to deny it until the last minute. The fact was that the womanizer could be infallible when it came down to flirts and meaningless fun, but he was a lost boy when it came down to real feelings.

WooBin and JiHoo had secretly decided to plot together to help the girl.

The thought of their funny conversation and crazy out-of-the-box ideas to make GaEul and YiJeong get together brought a smile to his lips, making him laugh loudly alone in the deserted field. The worries that before made his heart clench, didn't seem to occupy his head anymore.

Suddenly, the _Psicose_ music theme began to play. On the cellphone screen, the picture was a cartoon skull. Something that was intended to be a joke, and make these moments easier, only served to make him freeze and go pale, all signs of amusement leaving his face, his chest feeling somewhat heavier.

It crossed his mind, for a split of a second, to ignore the call, to pretend, to postpone the inevitable. But instead, WooBin reluctantly grabbed the phone again, clearing his dried throat.

"Hello, Father."

* * *

Behind the closed wooden door, the shattering noises were terrifying. In the adjacent room, to where the employees seemed to have retreated, three maids were seated at the couch, holding hands, pale and scared. There were other people there as well, mostly hotel staff, manifesting different stages of different emotions; some seemed amused, others annoyed, it was even possible to spot worry showing in some faces. JiHoo noticed the presence of the hotel security, as well as President Kang's guards, waiting orders. In some cases their presence could make it all worse, but he was confident they would follow SangRuk orders. But it was the silent still figure at the corner that made his eyebrows rise; JaeKyung's bodyguard chief was also there, wearing a blank indecipherable expression.

The Chief Secretary waited a couple of minutes before speaking, allowing JiHoo's mind some time to let the situation sink in.

"I do not wish to make this situation any bigger than it already is, sir." The man's controlled voice went on, having to go up an octave to be heard above the loud blow noises. "If you are able to manage, it will spare my men. If not, call for us and we will get in to assist you."

_What is JoonPyo thinking?_ Kept saying a shocked part of his mind, while his ears were filled with the murmurs and low tone comments around him. Yet, another part of him couldn't be less confused. JoonPyo's mother had a great vision for business and profit, but limited understanding of emotions, of the raw consequences her words and actions could cause. In another time, in different circumstances, the musician could have accepted and even pitied her, as he had always done. Right now, he could only feel anger.

An emotion he was well aware he had to dispose of before taking any action. He had nothing but respect for other people's emotions, and in moments like these the meaning of that particular philosophy was particularly important.

JiHoo closed his eyes, attempting to shut down others reactions and whispers around, in the same way he would do with music, he focused his whole attention on hearing only the noises. What story was it telling? What kind of feelings were producing it? What was going inside his friend head?

Making up his mind, JiHoo opened his eyes and turned to look the Chief Secretary. "Please, clean up this room, all these people being here is of no use. If you and your men need to stay, then please do, but don't interfere. You'll have to let it be for a while, okay?" It was obvious the man had been anxious to do something concrete, as he immediately muttered a 'yes' answer and instantly oriented the people in the room to leave and go about their business.

Trusting SangRuk efficiency, the copper-haired walked towards the door only to find it locked. It seemed JoonPyo was really determined to do his thing without interruption. Well, too bad for him. JiHoo _was_ coming in.

"I need the master key or a spare one." To this sentence, a maid stopped in her tracks and helpfully searched her apron pocket, taking her key out and handing it to him.

"Here, sir." The moment the metal key was in his hand, everyone that was left in the room froze on the spot, staring at the door.

Silence. Absolute silence. Not even a footstep could be heard.

The sudden difference made JiHoo worried in a way he wasn't before, during the ferocity of his friend's rage attack. At that, an urgent feeling overtook him and he rushed to open the door, sending a warningtowards at SangRuk.

_Please, don't let that moron do something stupid._

* * *

_The wedding is tomorrow._

Queued by the thought, her heart pounded, makingher gently place her hand on her chest, eyes closed. The emotions were mixed, making it close to impossible to understand what she was feeling. Every time she worried too much about it, the headache would pronounce itself, her breathing would get harder. Anxiety.

So, JaeKyung decided to clearher mindby simply thinking about nothing at all. Letting her head fall back, she stretched all her body, shifting her focus to feel every muscle, to the sensation of the warm water surrounding her body, touching her skin. To the aromatic smell of the oils she blended in the water. To the sensation in the air, stuffy with its warm steam, making the mirror blurry and her hair damp. Exhaling deeply, she let the moment be for a while, doing her best to not think about the future.

The bathtub was enormous, to say the least, pure white with golden taps. The tiles were also white and showed painted pink flowers, the air perfumed with the rosemary essence from the lighted scented candles. Besides the toilet there was also a shower, if it was the guest's desire for a quicker method. Right beside her there was a medium-sized window, lightly curtained, from where she could see the beach at noon, but now, during night, it was all black and stars, with some scarce light reflection moving on the ocean surface. The waves sound entered the room and mixed with the smooth rhythm of the whirlpool engine.

She let herself immerge into the water as though it was the sea. A warm world closed around her silently, a caress. Little water blisters slid blandly through her body before disappearing in the surface. The young girl felt the water pressing her body, so she stayed still, suddenly attentive. What? What happened? She opened her eyes, seeing a couple of bubbles from exhaling going up into the wavy picture of the surface.

Crossing her arms in her chest, a gesture of self-protection against the pain, she closed her eyes again, her early conversation with JanDi playing inside her head like a movie. _If someone told me to pick the two most precious people in the world to me, I would say Goo JoonPyo and Geum JanDi. Therefore, I'm really sorry, because I made your heart ache, but I'll make up for you somehow. Please forgive me._

_Scared, with a knot stuck in her throat, JaeKyung shot up to surface, gasping, the tears threatening to fall. She didn't want that, why would her happiness mean her best friend pain? Why should things be like that? She wanted to do something heroic, to help JanDi to feel happy and to have fun. Since the moment JaeKyung realized her friend's relationship with her husband-to-be, the signs of hurt were clear as crystal, and she have felt instantly guilty for being the source of that. JanDi lead a much difficult time on its own, without adding these kind of troubles to it. So, her solution was to be helpful and fun and make her that dear girl laugh more._

_Is it enough?_

She knew the solution, but she couldn't allow her mind to go there, to consider seriously that possibility. She wouldn't, even if the denial was intentional, she could still use it as a shield. JaeKyung felt the beginning of a suffocation, making her raise a hand at her throat. Breathing slowly, she concentrated on doing just that. _You have control over your lungs, you are alright, your body is yours_, she chastised herself as she felt panic begin to seep in, the feeling making her tremble inside with hopelessness... It was a sensation she was used to already, having had the attacks since childhood. _Everything is going to be okay._

For the first time in her life, she had friends to care about, to laugh along with, to go out on an adventure and have fun. True people with true feelings. She wasn't alone anymore, and the reality of that fact made it instantly easier to breathe. She wasn't alone anymore.

Steadier, she relaxed again in the tub, raising her arms to lean her head into her palms.. Sighing, she looked out of the window, to the shapeless shadows and bright stars light. There was no moon tonight.

_The wedding is tomorrow._

Tomorrow would be a scary day for her, since her life would be changed. For JanDi, it would be a very painful situation. Even knowing that, she couldn't bring herself to cross the barrier between friendship and love, to be strong enough as to let her feelings go so her friend could be happy. She was too afraid, too afraid to be alone again, to fall back into the pit she used to be until the marriage announcement. She wanted a change, a real life.

Did that meant she didn't love JanDi enough, that she wasn't a real friend? Was it that she was a monster, or this was just what it meant to be human?

Feeling lost and unable to do anything different, JaeKyung buried her face into her forearm and wept.

* * *

The small figure wandered dragging her feet, shoulders dropped and retracted, the entire posture showing weakness. She made no noise and her presence was unnoticed, since there wasn't anyone around to see. Which was a minor blessing, in her opinion.

She felt tired beyond recovery.

Sighing heavily, JanDi unlocked her bedroom door, blinking without any reaction to the absolute mess the room was in. It wasn't important. It wasn't so unusual; GaEul often had problems when it came down to picking clothes. With that thought, she glanced at the wall clock. It was late, they were probably eating dinner already and, knowing how GaEul felt about YiJeong, she didn't want to trouble them, so it was better to eat something in the room.

Always ready for a snack, her stomach growled loudly, making her fall down at her knees in front of the small room fridge. It _had_ to have something good inside. As she opened it, her eyes found more than just snacks, in the form of crisps and muffins. There were also water bottles, soda cans, juice and smoothie boxes, beer cans and a whole bottle of champagne.

Readily eating a chocolate muffin, JanDi reached for the champagne bottle, stopping halfway to reconsider. It was true that she didn't feel not even a little bit commemorative at the moment, and she always got drunk easily. On the other hand, tomorrow was going to be a hard day, which made very welcome a help to put all those worries at bay, and she _always_ got drunk easily. Jackpot.

Making up her mind, the small girl opened the bottle, with efficiency learnt on many part time jobs in food service, and poured herself a glass. Grabbing it, she then raised a toast to the wall.

"To the bride and the groom, to live happily ever after!" there was no irony in the tone, only frustration. She proceeded to emptying the glass and pouring a new one, settled on the idea of numbing her senses.

It was just once, it wouldn't hurt. It was the first time no one was around to see, nobody would be affected by her behavior, she could allow herself to be a little weak, to feel and try to suffocate her own sorrow. She needed an escape valve, even if it was temporary and artificial; it was just for now. She could spill around all her negativity now, while there was no one to see or hear, so later she could endure and do what was needed of her.

After all, she couldn't use swimming to do that anymore.

"Mom, dad… brother…" she murmured to herself, empting another glass without really paying attention to it, as she got lost in thoughts, the actions became only automatic. Because of her, of her relationship with JoonPyo, they had to move out. They have lost everything they spent their whole lives cherishing and investing, not only money, but heart, energy and hard work. Her mother had to humiliate herself, and JanDi knew how hard all those changes hit her. Then, after they left, she had to send off her brother too. It was again her own fault, that demolition.

She was always going through so much; it was never easy, never simple. She needed simplicity, yearned to all that heaviness in her life that she was going through for months now to end, to enter the light again. She didn't want to suffer anymore.

While drinking, JanDi pulled the necklace out of her pocket, staring at it. It was her chain. She wanted freedom, but still…

"It was a promise, our promise. Do you remember?"

His voice didn't cause any reaction, not even a surprised explanation. The room and the air already felt different, her head lighter. In her state of mind, his apparition was nothing but a natural course, didn't matter how odd it seemed. So she simply turned towards his voice.

JoonPyo was seated at the foot of the bed, hands holding his knees, looking firmly at her. He didn't seemed part of the room, exactly. Detached and faint, somehow. She didn't really mind, though. She could steam at the right person, finally.

"And who was the first one to break it, huh?!" she screamed, throwing the necklace at him, angry tears flowing down her cheeks. "You have no right to demand that from me anymore. Who do you think you are, playing with my heart like that?"

He held the necklace and glanced at her, his eyes inexplicably expressing hurt. The voice came shaken and whispered, as distant as the reality of their relationship was for her now. "Still, you were my first love. I could have died for you."

JanDi wanted to scream, beat him up so bad. But his tone caught to her, grapping a hold of her heart. She suddenly felt the urge to hold him tight, to touch his cheek, offer comfort. He looked so sad. Flashbacks of the snow storm day came to her head, so vividly it made her shiver.

_Her whole body was shaking with strong spasm from the cold exposure, even though the fire was alight and JoonPyo covered her the best he could. Her hands and feet fingers felt numb, as well as her mind. It seemed like she couldn't keep any kind of straight logical thought without losing its line, as if she couldn't quite process what was going on around her._

_As the minutes went by, and the worst of her pains began to stop, she could at least bring herself to notice what was happening around her, finally opening her eyes._

_The first thing JanDi saw was the fire, and the whole dark quietude of the empty room. And then, it was his arm, shivering uncontrollably. JoonPyo had undressed and used his clothes to make her warm, in the same way she had done for him when they had been trapped on the top of the tower. And that also meant he was freezing to death. Unlike that other time, the risk on this one was real._

_He was really close, so she could see his back perfectly from her position, could see his whole body shaking, his back pores bristling, the melted ice in his hair, dampening his locks. He had come all the way back for her, risking himself like that._

_At the thought, JanDi's heart warmed, mixing it with worry for her boyfriend asshe could never let him suffer like that. She was so worried before, and for what? The most important thing was between them both._

_Holding out her hand, she touched his arm gently. The contact made her shiver, she would always feel that, when she touched him. That strange feeling would make her weak. But still, he was so cold to the touch._

_She tried to cover him with the jacket as well, but he refused it, covering her up again._

"_Hurry…" her voice was nothing but a whisper and felt husky on her throat. Unwilling to allow him freeze, she tried to cover him again, weakly pulling his arm with the other hand, nudging him to come closer to her._

_Exhaling, JoonPyo accepted it, approaching in order to share the cover, even though it was more symbolic than effective because of their size difference. She had looked at him before, in other times, but in that situation it was impossible to not notice the wide shoulders, his fitness. She felt really small there, so close to him. The new sensation wasn't entirely bad._

_The side of his arm was touching hers and, though the contact made JanDi feel slightly embarrassed, the coldness of his skin was what she focused her attention on, since it was her fault. At this point, her hands were warm and she wasn't cold anymore, so she touched his arm again, hesitantly at first, feeling his goose bumps against her palm as she slowly ran it down his arm until she reached his hand, intertwining her fingers with gave no reaction. He wasn't blocking her, neither welcoming her touch. Her other hand covered the top of his, rubbing softly to transfer heat._

_At this, he, who seemed to be avoiding looking at her – she only assumed it was because he was mad at her recklessness – transferred his gaze to her eyes, making her shiver. There was something different in his eyes, she just couldn't quite point out exactly what was it._

"_I'm really sorry." She said, honestly._

"_If you're sorry, then that's enough." His understanding tone made her relax, wiping out the knot of nervousness and guilt in her stomach. "Don't forget that I saved your life this time." After saying that, his fingers responded to hers, also intertwining, His grip was tight, sending goosebumps up her arms through to her spine and the nape of her neck._

"_How should I repay you?"_

"_Lunchbox."_

"_What?"_

"_That thing you eat everyday for lunch. Honestly, I've wanted to taste it the moment I saw it."_

"_I'll make it for you. We can make lunchboxes and go on picnics. Just the two of us."_

_Arms and hands interlaced, with his thumb caressing lazily her hand, they sat more close together now, sharing their warmth. They had fallen into a comfortable silence, simply listening to the wind sounds of the snowstorm and the crackling fire. The unusual closeness made her heart pound faster than usual, and she was worried if he could hear it. Was he feeling it too?_

_The progress felt natural, as they were already ore used to each other's proximity, and when their eyes met again the consent was implicit. The moment she noticed how close he was, JanDi closed her eyes, letting go and allowing the moment to simply be. The first touch of his lips sparked an energy thatwave through her body, making her feel warmer all over and her stomach flipping in response. As the kiss deepened, JoonPyo's grip tightened on her hand, pulling her closer._

_There were butterflies playing chase inside her stomach, and the world seemed dislocated, as though she had entered an entirely new dimension, where the link of their lips and hands was the only anchor for existence._

_When they finally separated, going back to the real world shook her mind up. JoonPyo leaned his forehead on hers, and they looked into each other's eyes, panting slightly. A small smile mirrored on both lips, as if they now shared a deep secret. It was a moment. Their moment._

_From then on, she understood she had found love._

JanDi opened her eyes abruptly, her hand gripping her shirt tightly above her stomach. She could still feel the ghost of that kiss, tickling her lips, refusing to be forgotten. His presence was strong and undeniable in her heart, not so much the past, but very much the present.

She was now laying in her bed. On the ground beside itwas the empty champagne bottle. The worlds seemed to be spinning, she felt somewhat detached from it. And very connected at the same time, being aware of small things, small noises, very much aware of every little sensation in her body. But her thoughts were spinning and passing by her without focus, which was what she was aiming for to begin with.

"Do you really want to leave me, JanDI?" his voice called her down to earth again. He had his eyes locked on hers, implacable. She could feel him and he felt very real Hewas on top of her now, making her especially focused on the sensation of warmth of his hand on her cheek, the weight of his legs on hers. His usual cologne fragrance permeated the air and confused her senses. She felt trapped, unable to think. In suffering, she closed her eyes, feeling much fragile all of a sudden. He would have this effect on her very often. She loved and hated him for that.

JanDi was a mass of different mixed emotions, without being able to stick to any specific one. There was a knot in her stomach, and she felt waves of heat from her head to toes.

"Please…" her voice came out trembling, nothing more than a whisper. JanDi didn't know what she wanted to say next, but the words got stuck on her throat while the tear began to flow down her face andonto the pillow, abundant and unstoppable. If she were to be sober, it would have embarrassed her, but right now it really didn't matter.

JoonPyo didn't move one millimeter, and it made her want to scream, mad at her own weakness. So she did just that. "_You_ were the one who left _me_! And you left me before you met her." Angriness crossed his eyes, while her tears continue to flow, now cause by her anger too. She was sick and tired of so much unfairness. "Just leave me alone, already." She demanded, hurtful.

"All right."

As though on cue after the cold response, his weight lifted off of her suddenly.. The shock of his absence felt greater than his out-of-place presence, making her cry only to stop immediately. She sat up, intending to sit on the foo tof the bed, but instead falling into the ground because of her current state. Her brain didn't process any pain. She felt numb and panicked, worrying only to find him again. Her only thought was that, if he would leave now, it would be forever. She didn't want to be left behind.

"Sorry, you are right." He was standing in front of the door, looking at her with sad eyes. "I guess we can't really be together anymore."

At that sentence, JanDi shook her head desperately, and her dizziness worsened. The definitive and the resigned – so unlike his personality – tone shocked her. _I don't want that. I can't_. She didn't feel sure enough of her strength to let him go. Yet, she had to. At this point, she could bring herself to remember why. All she knew was that, no matter how hard she wanted to grab ahold of him and make him stay, she just couldn't. _I can't do anything at all_.

Feeling weak, JanDi was suddenly aware that the knot on her throat was becoming harder to endure. "Please… don't leave me." She said, choking on her own words, ashamed of the truth and selfishness that were behind it. Even faced with that request, there was no shock on JoonPyo's face, only a sad smile, as if he had known it all along. Still, he turned his back to her, and as he walked away and disappeared in the air, he broke her heart once again.

"You're not alone. Don't be afraid, JanDi." JiHoo's soft voice came from behind her, as she felt being embraced. And, as if the understanding tone of the sentence was permission, she broke. She allowed herself to sulk in her own feelings, irrationally confident that JiHoo would never let her fall too much on her own despair. And somehow, his presence made it worse. Her uncontrollable sobs shook her whole body and reverberated on the walls, but she was deaf and blind to anything other than the pain she felt in her chest.

She felt his hand on hers, the warmth of his palm on her back, she could hear his voice, but couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Soon, JanDi realized she was back to bed, without a clue on how she managed to gather enough strength to do so.

Without desire or hopes of control, she hugged the pillow in search of comfort, and cried her sorrow out.

* * *

JiHoo was expecting some good mess, but not a room that seemed to be a result of a war zone.

The two armchairs were knocked down on the floor, one of which was somehow across the room. The curtains were torn, no glass seemed to have survived such furious destruction, liquid content of bottles tained the tapestry along with glass pieces. The center table was turned down, one window was completely broken, the mirror was nothing but a memory of broken pieces.

Kneeled in the center of the whole zone, was JoonPyo. His looks and clothes didn't seem to have gotten away from his rage, being misfit and torn at some points, his hair a total crazy mess. He was breathing heavily, his back going up and down, his arms muscles were clearly spasming from the effort. There was a small cut in his cheek as well as several ones in his hands, making his white shirt sleeves spoilt with blood also. Facing down, his hands supported his weight on the ground, JoonPyo was apparently unaware of the smithereens.

For the copper-haired that entered the room in a hurry with a mind full of horrible images, even the state of what he saw was a pure relief, almost making his legs go weak. Just almost.

He was fine, the darn bastard.

Instead he crossed the room in long determined steps and punched his friend shoulder without hesitation, mad for those worrisome seconds he had just made him go through. Receiving in return a scream of protest and a responsive JoonPyo.

Laughing he went back to the door, ignoring the late reaction of the other. At the door, SangRuk was about to enter.

"He's fine, keep up the good work." Was all JiHoo said before closing the door and looking again at the groom.

Who seemed to be out of fuel even though he was standing now and sending him a furious look, hands closed in a fist. To that, all JiHoo did was raise his eyebrows, in honest doubt.

"You mad? We can do that."

"You satisfied? You saw it. Now get out." Impatient and in the state that he was, JiHoo's face wasn't exactly helping with his mood.

"Satisfied?" pretending to not notice the threaten and the possible development a provocation could cause, the musician simply looked around, pretending to only now evaluate the room, forcing himself to show a smirk. "Oh, is this some kind of gift for me? I'm touched."

"You—" JoonPyo raced and grabbed his friend shirt, lifting him slightly out of the ground, just about ready to hit him square in the face. Which he would have done, if it wasn't for something on the other's expression. A calm indifference, as if waiting for it to happen. As if _wanting_ it to.

Suddenly feeling weary, JoonPyo released JiHoo and let himself fall to the ground, sitting with his knees up, resting his forehead on his knees, the arms weakly hugging his legs. There was no point in keeping that up anymore, the strong facade. He felt deeply empty, somewhat robbed of something.

Still careful to not let his face betray any thought, JiHoo looked down at his friend. The frustrations and rage were palpable in the air, making him feel as though he could physically cut it with a knife if he tried. There was nothing in him, absolutely nothing that enjoyed seeing JoonPyo like this. It was true it was a hobby of his to make him mad sometimes, but always in a playful manner. Looking at everything right now, he could only feel his heart heavy with his own inability to change the cause of all that. It simply wasn't in his power to do so.

As JiHoo's mind went back and forth, trying to come to a decision on how to approach the situation, his thought process was interrupted by JoonPyo.

"How did you know?" he didn't move or look up while speaking, his voice lacking energy, wanting to fill the void in the air. It made JiHoo smile slightly _.Why not have a normal conversation in a destroyed room?_

"A bird told me."

"Does the bird name ends with 'Ruk'?"

That made JiHoo shrug his shoulders, more than willing to make things lightly.

"Why, do you speak bird too?"

It made JoonPyo laugh weakly, even though he kept his position. Silence followed again, interrupted only by the distant sound of the sea waves. The posture JoonPyo had retreated to seemed to be one of defeat and absolute fatigue, despite being surrounded by the chaos he created. It didn't suit right, in JiHoo's mind, to see his usually upbeat friend like that and, even though silence wasn't something that usually bothered JiHoo - it would sooner get to JoonPyo's nerves and he would be the one to break it -, the whole situation they were in right now wasn't usual, so he guessed he had to assume a different role.

"Are you satisfied now?" he made sure to keep his tone low and uninterested, indicating the whole state of the room.

"No."

"And now what?"

JoonPyo breathed heavily, not particularly eager to think about anything. "I don't know." He then paused briefly, fisting one hand. "I don't care. Just leave already."

Blankly ignoring his friend, being used to his stubbornness after years of friendship, JiHoo simply ignored the request. "Yeah… I don't quite feel like it." Then he promptly sat down in front of him. "You'll have to put up with me."

It finally caused a reaction, which resumed in a furious look towards him when his friend raised his head, apparently baffled to see him seated instead of gone. "What's your damn problem?"

To that, JiHoo simply shook his head, deciding to push and test the ground. "I don't know, you tell me."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" the bitter words escaped his mouth even before JoonPyo was clear of what to say or even aware of his thoughts. "Every second that passes is one step closer to this damned wedding and your desire. So you can pull a savior act to her, and it'll all be flowers. That's what you think, huh? But I won't let that happen!"

The ball was kicking now, and JiHoo thought he might as well play along. So, instead of defending himself and pointing out the failed logic of what JoonPyo just said, he just inclined his head, expressionless. "So, if I'm so busy doing all this plotting, where does that leaves you? Where does that leave JaeKyung?"

JoonPyo opened his mouth to answer. Stopped, clenched his teeth. And then half-heartedly punched the ground. And then he tried again, in a mid-tone between low and scream. "How am I supposed to know? I never asked for this marriage!"

"And yet here we are."

The straight forward and firm affirmation worked as a wakeup call to JoonPyo. And, as he didn't immediately argue back, it made JiHoo's hope rise. He wished for him to understand what was so obvious for outsiders. Sometimes, JoonPyo's evasiveness and ability to focus on trivial details while overlooking the deepest meanings of his own actions made JiHoo want to shake him out of that attitude, do anything to make him face it directly.

But JoonPyo merely shook his head, regaining control of his tone. "You don't understand. I can't prevent it. There's nothing I can do."

JiHoo sighed. "Nothing really?" He then locked his eyes with him, staring carefully. He already expected to see hesitation, especially since it seemed to be a new habit of JoonPyo, but he wasn't expecting to see doubt in his eyes. It wasn't insecurity, but there _was_ something odd on his expression. Could it be…? "Do you really want to stop it from happening?"

To that, JoonPyo's eyes widened, shocked to hear that said out loud, even if the thought wasn't a stranger to him. Since the headache made him feel dizzy, he closed his eyes shut. In the past few weeks he had come to understand he was growing fond of JaeKyung, in a way he hadn't expected. Since the marriage was arranged he did his best to keep an emotional distance from her, in a silent personal protest. But it seemed he had failed miserably at that task, and the hardest part about it all was to admit it; he had changed, as well as his feelings.

That realization pained him, making him feel guilty and ashamed of himself. JanDi and JaeKyung were both in his mind and in his heart, and he had no way to know what he was supposed to do about that. What he couldn't tag was when did the balance of his emotion begin to tilt more to the other side, when did the shift happened. It confused him, and while he couldn't admit that to himself, he was hurting them, especially JanDi.

"Aish… Why is she here? She shouldn't be here." He put his fingers on his temple, trying to rub the headache off. How could he marry someone while being watched by his first love? Someone he deeply cared about, and knew was going to be hurt. By him.

JiHoo didn't need further explanation of what he meant. And hearing that, said in such a hurtful and worried tone, made his hearts soften a little. So JoonPyo wasn't thinking only selfishly. That was good to know. "JanDi needs closure too, it was her choice. In the same way it was yours." He added, helpfully. To that JoonPyo opened his eyes a little without enthusiasm.

"What do you mean? It wasn't my—"

"Cut it out, JoonPyo." JiHoo interrupted in a brisk tone, almost cruelly. Anger erupted in JoonPyo's eyes once again. "Come on, look around. What's this all about?"

"I was just angry, or I can't let it show anymore? Isn't it obvious?"

"At who?"

"At my mother!" yelling, JoonPyo answered the first thing that popped in his mind, but at JiHoo's disparaging expression, he stopped. His friend was right. Thatwasn't the answer. Gathering strength, he passed a hand through his already beyond salvation messed up her. "At me." He confessed tiredly.

He felt detached and distant all of a sudden, as if his mind had had enough of the emotional rollercoaster he went through during the past hour.

The silence dragged for some minutes, and JiHoo sat patiently, all his focus directed to JoonPyo. He could feel that, at this point, they had reached the core of the problem. And he understood very well that to see some difficult truths about oneself – to finally realize what was behind games and facades – was not an easy thing to handle.

Gathering his thoughts, JiHoo knelt down close to the now very still figure of JoonPyo, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"This is a scary moment for you." With that, JoonPyo raised his gaze to meet JiHoo's. "Are you paying attention to it?"

As his friend words sank in, JoonPyo eyes widened slowly. He then lowered his head once more, covering his face with his hands, at a loss, feeling a massive headache sneak in. A consequence of all the rage that he allowed to dominate him. All that was left was confusion and sorrow. The understanding in JiHoo voice held a grip on his heart, in a way only the truth could do. Now it was in the air and couldn't be ignored anymore.

There was the simple fact that he couldn't bring himself to surpass the barrier of indignation and break free of his mother's grip. He would often think of it, but never being able to put it into action, and take control of his own life and choices; and when, before, he thought he had those things, he now understood it was only an illusion. The freedom was never really there. He had been so naive.

And still, the wedding was tomorrow. JanDi and JaeKyung's memories were spinning inside his head without pause

Giving him time, JiHoo stood up and went to the window, shoving his thumbs into his front pockets as he looked out to the view. It was so calm outside, with the waves and the blink of the stars. Such a vast world. Compared to it, the mess in the room seemed almost unreal. Sometimes it felt that, didn't matter what kind of problems you face in your life, they were going to pass and they might not be as big as they seem. In the last few months, that knowledge had become a mantra to him that kept him going forward.

"Say, JiHoo…" JoonPyo's voice came from behind him. JiHoo turned around, noticing that the other was facing him with a tortured expression. "For me that began to like JaeKyung as well, and am unable to take action to go back to JanDi…" He turned his head to the other direction, hiding his face. But not in time so JiHoo couldn't see the tear falling down his cheek. "…Does that mean I didn't really love JanDi?" that last sentence tasted bitter in JoonPyo's mouth, and the only betrayal of his actual emotional state was a slight tremble in the last word.

It was only then that JiHoo's face finally showed true distress and worry, even though JoonPyo couldn't see it. _How exactly am I helping here?_ He thought to himself, as he turned to face the window again, wanting to hide his expression and give his friend a bit of privacy.

He placed his forehead against the cold window glass while rearranging his own thoughts. There was no right answer to that, no way to avoid anybody's feelings from getting hurt. And sometimes, truth was all that was needed.

"I don't think so." He said, still staring at the view, letting the words act by themselves, without further planning of what he was going to say next. "When I made the decision to come back and left SeoHyun behind, it didn't mean I loved her any less, or that what I felt for her before was false. It meant that I had changed, as well as the circumstances." Sighing, he turned to his friend again, who remained still. "I just had to accept that feelings are not black and white."

JoonPyo gave no signs of acknowledgement. It wasn't needed, JiHoo knew he was paying attention, and he hadn't finished. "I heard this once, from my grandfather, while he talked to a patient: One cannot expect to lead any kind of life and always remain the same. To that, I can add that the way one leads life, is up to them only. There's always a choice."

He didn't say it, but JoonPyo heard the last question loud and clear in his head. _And what's yours?_

There were very few things he understood at this point, since he still felt uncertainty towards the future. But there was one thing, one single decision that was making his mind clearer. From now on, he would pick his fights more carefully. And he wasn't sure if the marriage was one of them. Not necessarily because of the forced marriage itself, but simply because he had to accept that, at this rate, there was very little he could do about it. The point of doing something had passed right through him a long time ago. It made him think that it was a _choice_ he had made all along.

Breathing deeply, he looked again at JiHoo. "To be honest, I'm not sure of what _exactly_ I feel right now." He then rose and walked toward his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I just wished JanDi wouldn't be here, but I guess it can't be helped." It made the musician smile.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of her." JoonPyo didn't seem very fond of that idea, shooting him a cold look, which only made JiHoo's smile grow even larger, the provocation intended.

"I'll need some time alone to—" the ShinHwa heir detained himself, and they both looked at the door. There was a voice coming from the other side, apparently demanding answers from SangRuk. Alarmed, they both looked around the devastated state of the room.

As JoonPyo, without a clue of what to do, nervously passed a hand through his hair again, JiHoo advanced to the door with large steps. "Take your time, just make sure to be in shape tomorrow. I'll deal with it." His hand on the door knob, JiHoo shooted his friend a "Consider it your wedding gift." And then stepped out into another kind of chaos.

JaeKyung was trying to pass through SangRuk and his guards, and it seemed that her own bodyguards were lined up ready to fight for their boss. Now, _that_ would be an interesting match. Quickly closing the door behind him, JiHoo stood there for a moment, evaluating the situation. Both sides seemed stubborn enough to take that forth, as the girl demanded SangRuk to step away, and the man didn't move one inch. JiHoo raised his eyebrows, thinking. He _could_ just let it happen and enjoy the show for his own amusement. On the other hand, he did think JaeKyung's side had a big chance on winning.

Before he could do anything, the JaeKying noticed him and ran in his direction, trying to pass him and enter the room. "What is happening?" she said, in a worried and loud tone. "They told me there's a problem, and I'm the last one to know. Let me help."

JiHoo simply used his body to block her access to the door, while smiling pleasantly. "What are you talking about? I don't see how sleeping can be a problem."

"What? But…" she was still trying to get pass him, so he grabbed her wrist and, in one swift movement, turned her around to face the other side, passing his arm to embrace her by the shoulders.

"Tell me, JaeKyung, you're new in living in Korea, right?" JiHoo said in a cheerful tone while he began walking, pushing her forward by the force of the situation.

"Huh? Yes, but—" she looked behind, to where she wanted to go, confused. She wanted to shove him aside, but manners prevented her from doing so.

"And have you already tried the best tea in the whole Seoul?" he kept on, nudging her to the exit with him. When they passed through the two lines of the bodyguards, he blinked to SangRuk, who smiled almost imperceptibly. "That would be my tea, of course."

"But, wait…" they were already in the corridor, being followed closely by JaeKyung's bodyguards. As they left, SangRuk relaxed a little, looking towards the door of JoonPyo's room, feeling at ease after JiHoo's behavior. He could still hear the obviously out of character tone of his voice, coming from the corridor, making him smile widen.

"Worry not, I'll make us lots of it so you don't feel like an outsider anymore, come on!"

* * *

Hey people :D

First of all, I'm sorry for the time it took to publish it here, but I do have uni and lots of exams to do, so that's the reason xD however, I have all the intentions do keep it up.

So here is the results of my efforts (and my amazing beta reader 3) I really hope you guys like it! I added an WooBin tread that, while I didn't planned, at first, to make a plot for him, I now have one indeed. I think we saw very little from that guy in the serie, so let's see how that goes ;D

The JiHoo and JoonPyo conversation was very hard to write for me, but I do liked the results. I hope you think the same as well x_X

You'll notice I changed the spelling of some names, I did it to match the spelling of fanfiction, I thought it would be better that way. As soon as I figure out if I'm able to do that, I'll edit the last one so it won't be a problem or anything xD

Please, share your thoughts (any thoughts, really lols) and thank you to everyone that reviewed and even to the ones that just read the last chapter. It made me very happy 3 I hope the ones that were looking forward to it enjoy this new one.

For the eternal GaEul/YiJeong fans out there: I have a whole chapter just sitting here waiting for my beta reader (I refuse to post without her seeing it first, really XD), and we'll do our best to make it faster this time, so don't be sad ;D

lots of hugs ^^


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